There is a lot happening. The buzz on the street is of course about the new restaurant opening, “Ris” in West End(2275 L Street, NW) by former 1789 Executive Chef Ris LaCoste. I’ve run into her on the food trail and she is a very nice lady. It’s taken several years for her to finally reach opening, so I am glad for her that it actually came to fruition. I learned on Twitter from Ris that she appointed Ed Kwitowskias the new Chef de Cuisine.

Zagat’s write up included a description of the interior and menu. Apparently the Cafe is designed to be a neighborhood spot including a moderately priced menu that will feature comfort food with daily specials: Meatloaf Mondays; Tuesday, Paris bistro fare; Wednesday, spaghetti and meatballs; Thursday, signature rack of lamb; Friday, seafood, with guest oyster shuckers; and Saturday offers “Date Night” with steak and potatoes and crème brûlée. Sunday Ris will offer a Chef’s choice family-style supper of which the menu will change on a whim.

Ris will opening its doors on December 7th. Do you have reservations yet? Head to risdc.com or call 202.730.2500

Also, the new Cork wine market and tasting room opens today (located at 1805 14th St. NW, on the same block as the Cork restaurant). The new market has been greatly anticipated ever since Co-owners Khalid Pitts and Diane Gross, winners of the RAMMY award for Best New Restaurant, announced in May their plans to expand their business with the new Cork Wine Market. The new market will bring to the neighborhood, a wine and gourmet food shop with old world wines (from France, Italy and Spain) as well as new, with limited delivery service, wine classes and wine tracking services at the retail store. The market will also offer baked goods, charcuterie, cheese, jams, specialty vinegars and oils, and other accompaniments. The open kitchen in the back will allow the shop to make sandwiches, salad and other limited carryout items. Gronning Architects, who created Cork’s lived-in feel, will design the market in the same style, which Pitts calls “rustic urban.”

Photo courtesy of ReadExpress.com

Daniel Fisher, a server at Cork, will head up the in store operations of the market. The market’s chef will be Kristin Hutter, who started at the restaurant this summer and has cooked at Citronelle and Black Market Bistro